Quoit having hooked end portions and an opening in the center hub

ABSTRACT

A quoit comprising a generally flat member having a hub with a plurality of hook-like arms extending therefrom in a common plane, said hub having an entrance thereinto and a slot the entrance being reduced and the slot preferably having a circular configuration for reception over a target post. The target may comprise a plurality of posts spaced apart and includes a bottom disc aiding in holding the post upright and also used in the scoring.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,762,710

De Coninck Oct. 2 1973 QUOIT HAVING HOOKED END PORTIONS 3,l07,094 10/1963 Kfoury 273/95 A AND AN OPENING IN THE CENTER HUB 1,230,503 6/1917 Miller 273/100 r 2,911,758 ll/l959 Carson 273/DIGv 25 [76} Inventor: David D. De Coninck, 33 Milk SW36 Fnchburg, Mass- 01420 Primary Examiner-Richard c. Pinkham [22] Filed: June 20, 1972 Assistant Examiner-Marvin Siskind pp NO 264 614 Att0rneyCharles R. Fay

[57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S. Cl. 273/106 C, 273/100 [51] Int. Cl A63b 65/10 A a gemrally member havmg a [58] Field of Search 273/100 104 '06 B hub with a plurality of hook-like arms extending there- C 106 from in a common plane, said hub having an entrance thereinto and a slot the entrance being reduced and the [56] References Cited slot preferably having a circular configuration for reception over a target post. The target may comprise a UNITED STATES PATENTS plurality of posts spaced apart and includes a bottom 2,l87,493 1/1940 7 GOl'dOll 273/l06 R disc in the post upright and also used in 2,584,260 2/1952 Custer the Scoring l,955,030 4/1934 Smith 273/l06 C 3,507,496 4/1970 Miller 273/l04 6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures QUOIT HAVING HOOKED END PORTIONS AND AN OPENING IN THE CENTER HUB BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The game of horseshoes and many ring toss games have been used for many years both in backyard play and also in tournaments and in modern times with the development of certain kinds of plastic, light metal, etc., various improvements have beem made so that anyone can play the game even though traditional horseshoes may be too difficult because of the weight. Also, merely ringing the stake with the horseshoe or ring, or having leaners, is a game of limited scoring capacity and the present quoit and game provide a lightweight quoit having many more scoring possibilities than anything in the prior art but at the same time it does not present any more complications of setting up and actually tossing the quoit than any other previous apparatus and the present quoit' presents a smooth, strong, lightweight, e.g., plastic quoit having no blunt, rough, or sharp cutting or piercing or other dangers for possible accidents which are completely avoided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The quoit of the present invention may be made of any plastic or rubber material or it may be made from wood, aluminum alloys, etc. It comprises a device having a central hub with a plurality of hook-like curved arms extending radially therefrom in a common plane and presenting openings into the bight of each of the hooks whereby it may be tossed, hurled, twirled, or pitched toward a target in the form of a stake. In addition the hub has a central opening therein preferably of generally circular shape with a diameter less than that of the bight of any of the outwardly extending hook like members together with a single opening thereinto the opening being somewhat restricted if desired in order to make it a little more difficult for the quoit to be tossed with the central opening in the hub on the target post.

The target post may be made of any suitable material and it preferably is provided with a point for digging into the ground or alternatively a bottom disc with suction cups for securing it to a floor. The outdoor variety of post is also provided with a disc which is stocked against the shoulder and defines a point where the spike is fully entered into the earth having a shoulder on the post for engaging the disc and limiting the extent of the post in a vertical direction to an exact amount. At the same time the discs are also used in scoring and it easily defines distances from the post with respect to the nearest aspect of any quoit when either having a portion thereof resting on the disc or close by.

In one aspect of the present game two posts are used the game, and being useful for varying the scoring points while at the same time providing a small degree of luck since in some instances the player will increase his score with respect to one post even though he has. aimed'at the other. Other constructions and functions will appear more fully hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of the quoit; FIG. 2 is an adge view thereof looking in the direction of arrow 2 in FIG. 1;

FIG 3 is a view in elevation of one form of target post;

FIG. 4 is a view in elevation of a different form of target post;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the target post of FIG. 3.; and

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the target post of FIG. 4.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a quoit having a central hub at 10. From this hub there project in a single plane a series of flat arms l2, l4, and 16 there being three of these arms illustrated in the present case but of course any number of such arms may be utilized, even including two. Each. arm is in the form of a hook, each having a relatively wide bight and terminating in a reversely inwardly directed point as at l8, 18. This point may extend slightly outwardly as shown if desired and is rounded, but in any event it extends a distance from the next succeeding hook a lesser amount than the width of the bight so that once one of the hook-like arms has encircled a target post to be described it is more difficult for it to be accidentally removed. The hooks all extend in the same direction as shown and of course the quoit may be tossed, pitched, or hurled either right or left hand and with the hooks extending in either direction simply by inverting it.

The hub is provided with a generally circular opening 20 also having a restricted entrance portion 22. There is only one such opening however so that the entire device is unitary and may be molded, forged, or cut out in any manner desired.

It will be at once apparent that it is more difficult to throw the quoit so as to retrieve a stake target in the opening at 20 than it is to cause the quoit to be received on the same target in one of the hooks and therefore different scoring possibilities are immediately apparent as for instance the highest score for a single toss would be where the post is firmly set in the opening 20; a lesser score if it is located more closely adjacent the marks at 24. These marks may be dented or protruding ateach end of the court increasing the complexity of or merely applied in any manner desired.

This quoit must be of sufficient weight and size to carry out the functions for which it was made but with modern plastics, glass fiber, etc., the entire device is very easily and inexpensively manufactured.

Referring now to FIG. 3 there is shown a target post generally indicated at 30. Preferably it has a reduced diameter spike 32 and a stock shoulder at 34 to impinge upon a disc 36 lying flatly on the ground when the spike 32 enters the ground to its fullest extent. This disc aids in supporting the target post in upright position, against the impact of the quioit and it also serves as a marking or scoring device. For instance, a certain score could be had by having any part of the quoit lie on the disc. Concentric annular rings could be applied to the disc to determine the closeness of the quoit to the post, again with different scoring, and the disc itself is a measure of the closeness to the post of the quoits which are not on the discs but are adjacent. This can be measured by the eye much more easily with the discs present. I

The target post may be made of any suitable material and preferably it has an end cap at 38 especially if made of tubular material rather than a solid material. It isalso preferred that the post be identified by different kinds of stripes or different colored surfaces as at 40. The spike 32 is especially useful in light or sandy soil, but of course is also used in firm soil, etc., the disc steadying the post in the lighter soils.

FIGS. 4 and 6 illustrate a similar target post indicated at 42 having a similar shoulder but in this case the disc 36 is of inverted dish shape and has a series of suction cups 44 at its concave side to secure it in upright position on a floor 46 rather than outdoors using the ground spike. The dish shape allows the post to be easily slid along a floor when the suction cups are loose. Both discs can be slid down over the post as a snap ring. Otherwise the post is the same but may be of a different length is desired.

I claim:

1. A quoit comprising a hub, at least three similar and mutually evenly spaced arms extending therefrom in a common plane, each of said arms being curved in the form of a hook, each hook including a bight and an entrance portion into the bight, the entrance portion into the bight being narrower than the bight,

an opening in the hub between two of said arms, and an entrance into the opening from a side edge of the hub facing one of said arms and extending through the entire thickness thereof. 2. The quoit of claim 1 wherein the entrance to said opening is restricted.

3. The quoit of claim 1 including projections defining the entrance into the opening.

4. The quoit of claim 3 including scoring marks on the projections.

5. The quoit of claim 1 wherein the opening in the hub is coaxialwith the hub.

6. The quoit of claim 1 wherein the opening in the hub is generally circular. 

1. A quoit comprising a hub, at least three similar and mutually evenly spaced arms extending therefrom in a common plane, each of said arms being curved in the form of a hook, each hook including a bight and an entrance portion into the bight, the entrance portion into the bight being narrower than the bight, an opening in the hub between two of said arms, and an entrance into the opening from a side edge of the hub facing one of said arms and extending through the entire thickness thereof.
 2. The quoit of claim 1 wherein the entrance to said opening is restricted.
 3. The quoit of claim 1 including projections defining the entrance into the opening.
 4. The quoit of claim 3 including scoring marks on the projections.
 5. The quoit of claim 1 wherein the opening in the hub is coaxial with the hub.
 6. The quoit of claim 1 wherein the opening in the hub is generally circular. 